I consider myself a mountain bike adventurer. All day excursions, climbs into the alpine, bikepacking with my family, rock hopping across the high desert and park laps with my kids – I ride it all! I was excited when Ride Concepts released their new trail mountain bike shoe, Tallac. Tallac is lighter than my usual mountain bike clip shoe, Transition, and is a good fit for my adventure style of riding.
This Father’s Day, we celebrate all the two-wheeled Rad Dads out there and thank you for encouraging the next generation of shredders. Family memories are one of the many things we appreciate about bikes. For this reason, we catch up with the ultimate Rad Dad, Eric Porter, to reflect on how bikes have helped create unforgettable family memories.
“I think mountain biking is one of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors as a family. It has been a major part of my life since I was a kid, and my kids have now grown up on two wheels as well. We can all ride the same trail together but have our own experiences with different lines and ability levels, growing from the experience in our own ways.”
Photos by Justin Olsen
“Now that the kids are a little older at 10 and 12 years old, we’ve been able to start sharing some bigger adventures. Last year we went bikepacking in Alaska, which definitely pushed their fitness and ability, but also gave them a greater love for the outdoors. This year, we just got back from a three-week trip to Ecuador which built upon everything they learned last summer in Alaska. We rode down volcanoes from 15,000’ elevation, pedaled in the jungle, and even sessioned some local dirt jumps in Quito – the big city! Our bikes enabled us to immediately fit into the local bike scene and feel like locals despite the language barrier and remote location. Even if you can’t travel the world with the family and bikes, you can still use bikes to get the family together around shared experiences in the woods or on a bike path. They are the best tool for experiencing the world!”
Eric documents his adventures on YouTube where followers can join the ride as the Porter’s create memories in their backyard, local trails and far beyond.
Also read Rightful Heirs, Freehub's original feature on Eric’s family MTB trip to Alaska on FreehubMag.com.
